LONDON — The three winners of the inaugural BFC Changemakers Prize in partnership with Swarovski have been revealed.
Each represents one pillar of the British Fashion Council’s Institute of Positive Fashion: people, environment, community and craftsmanship.
John Hickling, founder of vintage and remade clothing provider Glass Onion in South Yorkshire, was recognized for his contribution in the environment pillar. His organization sorts and grades 15 tons of used clothing each week, and produces 12,000 remade pieces per month.
Hairstylist Cyndia Harvey was chosen for her “unique vision for inclusive beauty” in the people pillar. She is a champion of Black women and Black hair, and the creator of the thought-provoking 2017 film “This Hair of Mine.”
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Andrew Kenny, owner of the London Embroidery Studio in East London, stood out from the community and craftsmanship pillar for how he “uses traditional skills to generate new exciting techniques with cutting-edge embroidery machines.”
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Each of them will also receive a 7,500-pound cash prize and a mentorship package.
They were chosen from nine finalists by a panel of judges led by BFC chief executive officer Caroline Rush and Swarovski creative director Giovanna Engelbert, in addition to Edward Enninful, Farrah Storr, Jo Ellison, Ibrahim Kamara, Munroe Bergdorf, Lily Cole and Tan France.
Hickling described the award as “a landmark for Glass Onion.”
“It’s taken 15 years of hard work and dedication from our team, suppliers and customers to get to this point. It represents a new chapter for our business and team. We are inspired by a creative industry that embraces change and is excited to play our part by building Glass Onion and delivering our vision,” he said.
Harvey said she felt “humbled and very special” that her vision of inclusive beauty has been acknowledged.
“For me, the core of my creative process has always encompassed a vision of inclusive beauty. My aim has always been to ensure that there’s not just one singular story being told, knowing that real change comes from the collective consciousness,” she added.
Kenney said this award was meaningful because “we craftspeople working behind the scenes in fashion rarely receive” any kind of institutional recognition.
“This makes it all the more special. High-end fashion embroidery, even machine embroidery is incredibly laborious and so building an embroidery company where everything is made in-house has been a difficult thing to do. I was determined to do it because I’m incredibly passionate about the making and promotion of my craft and to be rewarded for it by the BFC and Swarovski — a brand whose products we use so regularly to create our work — feels like an incredible achievement and I’m extremely grateful,” he said.
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